The headquarters of State-run Saigon Water Corporation (SAWACO), the largest tap water supplier in HCM City. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — The Saigon Water Corporation (SAWACO), the largest tap water provider in HCM City, will continue to streamline administrative reform and improve customer service, with a commitment to safe water delivery and reducing water loss.

Speaking at a recent meeting in HCM City, Nguyễn Thanh Sử, deputy general director of SAWACO, said that through ongoing innovation and enhancements, SAWACO and its member units are dedicated to delivering safe, reliable, and efficient water supply services that adequately meet the needs of the city’s residents.

“Customer satisfaction serves as the principal measure of service quality, and SAWACO, along with its water supply affiliates, is committed to offering exemplary service to over two million customers who depend on tap water in HCM City,” he said.

One of the persistent strategies undertaken by its member units is to prioritise the innovation and enhancement of processes and regulations pertaining to customer interactions.

SAWACO and its affiliates have implemented electronic water supply service contracts, upgraded the electronic invoicing system in compliance with tax authority requirements, developed data extraction functionalities for the customer care system, and established digital application systems for management, inquiries, and data sharing.

SAWACO and its member units emphasise the integration of scientific and technological solutions along with the application of information technology in their management processes.

A significant milestone in this endeavor is the development of the SAWACO customer care application for mobile devices, compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems. 

This application enables customers to receive real-time updates regarding payment status, water meter reading schedules, water consumption reports, and QR code issuance. 

Automated data synchronisation is also a key area of focus.

Customers at the Thủ Đức Water Supply Joint Stock Company in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of SAWACO

According to the 2024 evaluation report on public utility service satisfaction conducted by the HCM City Development Research Institute, the water supply service boasts a satisfaction rate exceeding 80 per cent among citizens.

These initiatives ensure that 100 per cent of households have access to clean water, with objectives aimed at expanding the customer base and achieving sustainable water consumption.

The water industry’s dedication to enhancing service quality is further reflected in the implementation of plans to collect and update personal identification numbers and manage domestic water quotas. 

This includes streamlined processes for new water meter installations, regulations governing residential water quotas, and the updating and management of personal identification numbers. 

A unified pricing structure for water supply services has been established and enforced across the corporation.

Recently, member water supply units have released a water meter status code table to effectively synchronise and manage water meter data, thereby supporting customer water consumption management. 

As of June 2024, the water supply sector has successfully collected and updated customer information and personal identification numbers for over 1.6 million accounts.

Sử, the deputy general director of SAWACO, asserted that to further enhance customer service efficiency, SAWACO and its member water supply units will continue to improve online registration capabilities for new water meter installations, upgrades, relocations, and residential water quota registrations. 

They will also actively solicit feedback and complaints through the customer care application and facilitate online water bill payments. 

Additional efforts will focus on integrating the SAWACO customer care application with other software employed by water supply units to ensure automated data synchronisation.

Future plans also include the complete updating of residential water quotas with personal identification numbers within the customer care application system. 

The company’s website will be enhanced to facilitate greater connectivity with other management programmes and software, thereby improving interactivity with customers and providing timely information, online water supply service registrations, and online water bill payments.

The company will persist in its commitment to upgrading water quality to ensure the provision of potable tap water through the corporation’s distribution system. 

It has recently initiated numerous pilot projects aimed at delivering drinking water at taps across the city districts. — VNS